Means for raising sunken vessels.



R. DE ARAZOZA.

MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEE'T. 10, 191-5.

1 243?, 1 80. Patented; Sept. 18, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. DE ARAZOZA.

MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. 1915- Paiemed Sept. 18, 1917,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ll lf/lq unMov:

R. DE ARAZOZA.

MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, l9l5.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Sept. 18

trigger l FllEl RAFAEL DE ARAZOZA, OF HABANA; CUBA.

MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 191?.

Application filed September 10, 1915. Serial No. 50,064.

To a3 whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, RAFAEL on ARAZOZA, a citizen of Cuba, residing at Habana, in the municipality and Province of Habana, Republic of Cuba, have invented a new and useful Means for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

It has heretofore been proposed to raise sunken ships by means of caisson-buoys provided with adequate means for exhausting the water.

These known devices required the exhaust of the water contained in the fioat by means of pumps which in practice cannot be worked effectively if the depth of the water was more than about 29 feet.

In order to overcome this disadvantage applicant has invented a simple means which, after being secured to the vessel to be raised, can easily be operated from the salvage vessel and will efi'ectively and auto-,

matically exhaust thewater from the float.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 shows in vertical section a float of the preferred type.

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of modified forms of the float, shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, the float, or means for raising a sunken vessel comprises a body part A with convex bottom and top in which concentrically a cylinder B is built in, extending above and below the top and bottom of the part A.

In the top of this cylinder B, a chamber 0 is formed adapted to receive a charge of a gas generating compound as for instance calcium carbid. Below this chamber transversal supports C are arranged in the cylinder B through which a vertical rod E slides, normall supported at its lower end by a laterally extending through support G into said rod and adapted'to be operated by an oscillating lever N having a laterally extending arm I with a longitudinal slot R in its outer end. To a pin S, guided in this slot, a rod T is secured intermediate its ends provided with a weight H below the arm I, while the lower end is guided in a suitable bracket U secured to the inner wall of the body A. The upper end of this guide rod T extends through the top of the body A and a stuffing box V is provided at this place through which the rod T extends and ends in a ring to which the end of a rope or wire is secured adapted to be manipulated from the salvage vessel in order to pull the trigger P for a purpose later to be more fully described.

I is an air exhaust valve on top of the body A and G G are spring controlled valves in the bottom thereof for the admission and exhaust of water.

A valve L, in the bottom of cylinder B permits the cleaning of the device and an opening L in its top allows the introduction of the gas-generating compound into the chamber 0, while a valve K in one of the side walls of the cylinder permits the admission of water under a certain pressure.

At the opposite side of the cylinder B a rod F extends vertically into the body A and guided through suitable brackets W, W, the upper end of said rod being provided with a suitable operating-hand-wheel X, while its lower end is forked as at Y and straddles the upper end of the stem of the valve G.

Segmental plates, ivotally secured with one of their ends to t e side wall of the cylinder and resting with their other ends upon the platform Z on top of the rod E, normally form the bottom of the chamber 0.

The device described above operates as follows: 7

Through the opening L the required quantity of gas generating compound is introduced into the chamber 0 and the valve G is opened by the rotation of rod F in order to admit the quantity of water into the body A which is required to submerge the float, while the air valve J is opened so that the Water can freely enter through the valve G until a quantity sufficient to make the float stable and submersible is admitted into the float whereupon the air valve J is closed again resulting in the automatic closure of the valves G. As soon as the desired and necessary number of floaters or buoys is secured in any well known manner to the vessel to be raised, the ropes or wires secured to the rods T are'pulled and the trigger P of each float will then be withdrawn from the rod E and make the latter free to fall down and thus release the hinged bottom parts M M of the chamber 0 and come-into contact with the water below which has entered the cylinder B through anseries of holes Z. Gas will develop and exert a pressure upon the water in the float'of suflicient strength to open the valves G through which the water is driven out with the increasing volume of gas developed until the float reaches its maximum buoyancy. In this moment it will, together with the other floats rovided in sufficient number, raise the vessel and the surplus of gas will escape through the valves G as the pressure on the outside will gradually diminish while the float is ascendmg.

The modified form of the device 1llustrated in Fig. 2 is substantially similarly constructed as the float, Fig. 1 except that insteadof one, two triggers are provided on the outside of the cylinder and that the .chamber containing the gas generating agent is divided into two compartments by a partition wall 4, having bottom parts 2, 3 resting with their outer ends upon the ends 6 of the triggers. Therefore the charge can be fed to the water in two parts in order to prevent an overdevelopment of gas.

The operation of this device is substantially the same as that of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that instead of pulling one trigger two triggers have to be ulled in succession in order to suitably reguate the generation of the gas.

The modification shown in Fig. 3 is intended for use at greater depths where another gas than acetylene must be used which cannot be safely developed beyond pressures of 10 atmospheres per square inch.

The device comprises an outer cylinder 7 having a convex top and an inner centrally located cylinder 8 in the lower part of which a chamber 9 is formed for the recep-.

tion of an alkaline substance. In the upper part of the cylinder 8 a cylinder 1O is provided resting with its top flange upon the inner end of a trigger 11 adapted to be operated by the lateral displacement of a rod 12 by means of the pivot arm 13, while a support 14 for the lever 15 weighted near its outer end prevents the inadvertent displacement of the trigger which can be displaced by a pull on the rope or wire 16 se cured to the outer end of lever 15. Below the bottom of the cylinder and at a suitable distance therefrom a bracket 17 rests upon suitable abutments within the cylinder 8. The bracket carries a conical punch 18 exactly below a central opening in the bottom part ofthe ciylinder 10 exposing the lead lining thereo A .piston 19 reciprocates vertically in cylinder 7 and is provided with an automatically 7 operating valve 20 adapted to exhaust any surplus in the gas pressure developed. A circular duct 21 permits the lubrication of the cylinder 10 to facilitate its sliding movement.

22 is a valve for the exhaust of the air during the submersion of the float.

This device operates in the following manner: The cylinder 8 after the removal of its cap, is filled with the required quan tity of alkaline substance in proportion to the quantity of acid contained in the cylinder 10. Thereafter this cylinder 10 is filled with the acid and introduced into the cylinder 8 until its top flange rests upon the trigger bar 12. The cylinder 7 is then immersed and the valve 22 opened for the escape of the air displaced by the water which also moves the piston 19 toward the top. As soon as the float possesses the neoessary stability the cock or valve .22 is 7 closed. Owing to the air still contained in the chamber formed by the cap of cylinder 'gas on said piston is higher than the water pressure underneathof the same, the piston will descend and drive the water out of the body 7 which then will have the required buoyancy. Any excess of pressure can be removed through the valve 23.

What I claim is:

1. In a float of the character described, a body, a cylindrical gas generator concentrically arranged 'within said body and containing a chamber for the gas generating compound, a support for the collapsible bottom of said chamber, a latch or trigger normally maintaining said support in its raised position, means for operating said trigger for releasing the support and means for regulating the air and Water supply and exhaust, substantially as described. v

2. In a float of the character described, a body, a cylindrical gas generator, concentrically arranged within said body and containing a chamber for the gas generating compound, a collapsible bottom for said chamber, a support for said bottom, a trigger'normally maintaining said support in its raised position for holding said bot- 

